8.6. HTML Tools

HTML documents
are simple ASCII text files, which means you can use any minimal text
editor to write them. Fortunately, there are a number of tools that
make the process of generating HTML documents more quick and
efficient. They fall into two main categories: HTML editors and
WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) web
authoring tools.

8.6.1. HTML Editors

HTML editors
are text editing tools designed especially for writing HTML. They
require that you know how to compose HTML by
hand; however, they save time by providing shortcuts for repetitive
tasks like setting up documents, tables, or simply applying styles to
text.

There are scores of simple HTML editors available, and many of them
are free. Just enter "HTML Editor" in the search field of
Shareware.com (http://www.shareware.com) and wade through
the results. For purposes of brevity, I'm going to cut to the
chase.

Windows users should definitely check out
HomeSite, a high-powered and inexpensive
HTML editor from Allaire (recently merged with Macromedia). It
features HTML shortcuts and templates, color-coded HTML syntax, an
FTP function, HTML syntax checker, spell-checker, and multiple-file
search-and-replace. In addition, it includes wizards for creating
more complex elements (such as frames, JavaScript, and DHTML) and
many other attractive features. For more information and to download
a demo copy, see http://www.allaire.com/products/HomeSite/.
HomeSite information is also accessible on the Macromedia site at
http://www.macromedia.com/software/.

If you're working on a Macintosh, you want
BBEdit, a commercial HTML editor from
Bare Bones Software, Inc. It is
overwhelmingly the editor of choice among Mac-based web developers.
It includes features such as an array of HTML shortcut tools,
color-coded HTML syntax, multiple-file search-and-replace, a built-in
FTP function, support for 13 programming languages, a table builder,
an HTML syntax checker, and a lot more. For more information and to
download a demo version, see http://www.bbedit.com.

8.6.2. WYSIWYG Authoring Tools

WYSIWYG HTML editors have graphical interfaces
that make writing HTML more like using a word processor or page
layout program. So for instance, if you want to add an image, just
drag it from the desktop onto the page; the authoring tool creates
all the HTML coding needed to accomplish the effect on the screen. In
addition to simple style and format shortcuts, many of these tools
automate more complex tasks such as creating Cascading Style Sheets,
adding JavaScript functionality, and generating time-based DHTML
effects. Some can even tailor code to specific browsers.

In the beginning, the goal was to spare authors from ever having to
touch an HTML tag in the same way that page layout programs protect
designers from typing out PostScript. Today, the role of WYSIWYG
authoring tools has shifted towards making document production and
site management more efficient and automated while still providing
access to the HTML source.

8.6.2.1. Pros and cons

Many professional HTML coders shun web authoring tools, preferring
the "pure" experience of creating HTML documents by hand
using only a full-featured HTML editor. Others appreciate being
spared the grunt work of typing every HTML tag and find the WYSIWYG
environment useful for viewing the page and making design decisions
on the fly.

If you do choose to use a web authoring tool, don't expect it
to excuse you from learning HTML altogether. In many cases, you will
need to do some manual fine-tuning to the resulting HTML code. There
are a few pros and cons to authoring tools that you should consider.

The pros include:

They are good for beginners. They can even be useful for learning
HTML because you can lay out the page the way you want and then view
the resulting code.

They are good for quick prototyping. Design ideas can be tried out on
the fly.

They provide a good head start for creating complex tables and other
advanced functions, such as JavaScript and DHTML functions.

They offer considerable time savings over writing code by hand.

But also keep in mind these cons:

Some programs are infamous for not generating clean HTML documents.
They add proprietary or redundant tags and often take circuitous
routes to produce a desired effect.

Some editors automatically change an HTML document when you open it
in the program. They add their own tags and may strip out any tags
they do not recognize.

The code these programs generate may not conform to the latest HTML
specifications.

The built-in graphics-generating features do not offer much control
over the quality or the file size of resulting graphics.

They are expensive. The more powerful packages cost hundreds of
dollars up front and additional costs to upgrade.

8.6.2.2. Some available web authoring tools

The following is an introduction to a handful of the tools that are
popular as of this writing (versions are omitted because of the speed
of updates). All are available for Mac and Windows systems.

Macromedia Dreamweaver

As of this writing, Dreamweaver has emerged as the
industry-standard HTML authoring tool, due the fact that it produces
the cleanest code of any of its competitors. It does not generate
proprietary code and it will not change any code that you add. It is
one of the most full-featured authoring tools on the market. It has a
fairly steep learning curve. For more information, see http://www.macromedia.com.

Adobe GoLive

Another powerful
and professional-level HTML editing tool, GoLive supports all the
cutting-edge web technologies (JavaScript, ActiveX, WebObjects, style
sheets, etc.). It also provides excellent site management tools. Its
interface is more difficult to learn than other tools, but it seems
to be worth the effort. For more information, see http://www.golive.com.

Microsoft FrontPage (Windows only)

FrontPage is easy for beginners to
learn and is popular with the business community. It offers wizards,
themes, and tools that make web page creation easy for beginners.
FrontPage 2000 won't mangle your code the way earlier versions
did, which is good news, but it still produces code that many
professional web authors consider to be unsatisfactory. Some
FrontPage functions are closely integrated with Microsoft's
Internet Information Server
(IIS), so check with your hosting service for possible conflicts. For
more information, see http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/.